Chapter 2 [The Cave, 2. Slime]
The slime-like creature I found seems quite weak, so I decided to pour water from my canteen on it. The water was immediately absorbed, leaving the ground dry. The slime, or whatever it is, still didn't move. Carefully, I tried sprinkling a bit more water. After a while, the slime—let's just call it that—seemed to regain its strength and start rippling on the surface.
I offered it a fragment of a calorie mate, and it immediately took it in. Watching the fragment disappear as if melting. It must have absorbed it. It seemed somewhat pleased, so I gave it the rest. It seems to be in high spirits now. Well, Calorie Mate works even on slimes. Yeah, it's amazing.
Now that I've secured the "evidence" I was looking for, I'd like to take it back if possible. I completely forgot to take pictures. I'd like to capture it with the digital camera, but I don't want to be pounced on or have it run away because of the flash. I don't have any clever infrared cameras with me.
In novels and games, slimes are often depicted as creatures that dissolve and consume living beings, so I'd rather not carry it back with my bare hands. Thinking I might have to scoop it up with a shovel, as I approached, the slime hopped onto the shovel as if it understood my intentions. Touched by its seemingly considerate action, I brought the slime back. It didn't struggle or try to escape. it just followed me into the room. Good little slime.
....
I brought the slime back, but I don't have a container to put it in. I used to keep foreign stag beetles before, but I stopped due to the Alien Species Act, and although I have an aquarium, it somehow feels too small. I don't know the proper way to keep a slime, but it would be bad to keep it in a too-small tank, causing stress.
Now, as I was pondering what to do while looking around the room, the slime hopped into an empty cup noodle container. It quickly absorbed the leftover ramen soup, and then seemingly content, it absorbed the empty container as well. I hope it doesn't give it high blood pressure.
I don't want it to eat the floor or walls, but it doesn't seem to be doing that. Eventually, the slime attached itself to my leg, then agilely climbed up to my shoulder without giving me a chance to be startled, settling there. Feeling somehow reassured—there was an unexplained sense of conviction—I decided to leave it as it is. I'll take pictures later.
...
Living together with the slime, now on the third day.
Since it eats anything without any preferences, I don't have to worry about its food. It only eats what I give it, except for the cup noodle leftovers it took on the first day. It doesn't overeat or sneak food. It's well-behaved, gentle, not noisy, and doesn't excrete. As a pet, it's ideal, isn't it? I've kept various creatures since childhood, but I don't recall any being as easy to take care of as this slime. It happily eats whatever I give it, and it seems to get energetic after each meal. It's also convenient that its size doesn't grow much.
I gave up on confining it in a pet container. Watching it become affectionate made me feel guilty, and since it quickly melted the cup noodle container, I don't have any suitable containers to confine it. In fact, when I gave it a glass marble, it absorbed it without any issues.
I thought about posting photos on the internet, but no one would believe it anyway. If they did, it would cause a commotion. I don't care who makes a fuss where, but I don't want my life to be disrupted.
The cave inside the closet still hasn't disappeared even after three days. Maybe I should continue exploring a bit longer.